Maharani Gayatri Devi.
Kwakusehlobo lika-1919. IMpi Enkulu yayisanda kuphela. INkosana uJitendra Narayan waseCooch Behar kanye nonkosikazi wakhe, u-Indira Devi (Indodakazi kaMaratha u-Indira Raje waseBaroda), bafike eLondon ngemuva kweholide elide eYurophu. Babephelezelwa izingane zabo ezintathu, u-Ila, uJagaddipendra no-Indrajit. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa, lo mbhangqwana wabusiswa ngenye indodakazi enhle ngoMeyi 23. U-Indira wayefuna ukumqamba ngokuthi u-Ayesha. Bambalwa kakhulu abangakhumbula mhlawumbe ukuthi kwakuyigama lomlingiswa wenoveli yohambo lwasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, Yena, ka-H Rider Haggard, mayelana nendlovukazi emhlophe enamandla onke eyayibusa phezu kombuso olahlekile e-Afrika. U-Indira wayefunda inoveli ka-Haggard ngesikhathi ekhulelwe ingane yakhe yesine. Kodwa isiko lawina futhi ingane yaqanjwa ngokuthi Gayatri.
Omncane uzoqhubeka nokuba ngomunye wamamaharani athandwa kakhulu eNdiya. U-Ayesha (njengoba ayebizwa kanjalo ngothando ngabangane bakhe kamuva ekuphileni) wayehlonishwa hhayi nje ngenxa yokuthandeka kwakhe kobukhosi nozalo, kodwa futhi ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe kwabampofu nabacindezelekile, kanye negalelo lakhe emfundweni yabesifazane e-Rajasthan. Ingasaphathwa eyeqhaza alibambile ekuthatheni amandla okubusa eNdiya ngemuva kwenkululeko.
Ngesikhathi somdlalo wepolo. Isibalo sikamama
UGayatri Devi uchithe isikhathi esiningi sobuntwana bakhe eLondon naseCooch Behar, indawo kayise. Wayenenganekwane yobuntwana. Kodwa kwaba nengxenye yosizi. Uyise washona eneminyaka engu-36 esemncane. UGayatri Devi wayenenkumbulo efiphele yezinsuku zokulila ngemva kokufa kwakhe. Encwadini yakhe yokuphila, ethi, A Princess Remembers, wabhala, (Ngi) nginezinkumbulo ezididayo zikamama, egqoke ezimhlophe ngokuphelele, ekhala kakhulu futhi ezivalela endlini yakhe yokulala. Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Indira Devi, kanye nezingane zakhe ezinhlanu - u-Ila, u-Jagadippendra, u-Indrajit, uGayatri noMenaka - babehamba ngomkhumbi bebuyela e-India besuka eNgilandi.
U-Indira Devi waba nomthelela ojulile empilweni kaGayatri osemncane njengoba ethatha izintambo ngemuva kokushona komyeni wakhe. Wayeyisihlabani semfashini ngokwakhe futhi. Encwadini yakhe yokuphila, uGayatri Devi wabhala, uMa... uthathwa njengomunye wabesifazane abagqoke kahle kakhulu eNdiya. Wayengumuntu wokuqala owaqala ukugqoka ama-saris enziwe nge-chiffon ... Wafakazela ukuthi owesifazane, umfelokazi ngaleso sikhathi, angajabulisa ngokuzethemba, ukuthakazelisa nokuthakazelisa ngaphandle kokuba emthunzini ovikelayo womyeni noma ubaba.
Ngokusho komlingisi u-Riya Sen, ohlobene no-Gayatri Devi (uyise u-Bharat Dev Burman ungumshana ka-maharani), u-Gayatri Devi, vele, uyisithonjana sesitayela wonke umuntu owayesazi, kodwa u-Indira Devi wayeyisithonjana futhi. Wayengowesifazane omuhle owayegqoke ama-chiffon aseFrance amahle. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uGayatri Devi wayeyintombazane enomsindo esakhula, ethanda ezemidlalo nokuzingela. Wadubula i-panther yakhe yokuqala eneminyaka engu-12. Kodwa ngokuphazima kweso naye waziwa njengomunye wabesifazane ababebahle kakhulu ngesikhathi sakhe kukhona abakhongi ababegigiyela ukumnaka.
UGayatri Devi nendodana yakhe nomyeni. Ukuhlubuka kokuqala
Naphezu kokuphikiswa okunzima kukanina nomfowabo, uGayatri Devi washada noSawai Man Singh II, uMaharaja waseJaipur, ngo-1940, eneminyaka engu-21 nje kuphela. Wayeyindodana enkulu ethandana nomaharaja futhi wavuma ukuba umkakhe wesithathu. Encwadini yakhe yesikhumbuzo, uyabhala, uMa wabikezela ngokudabukisayo ukuthi ngizoba ‘ukwengezwa kwakamuva enkulisa yaseJaipur’. Kodwa akazange ahlehle. Ngaphezu kwalokho, watshela umaharaja owayeshade kakhulu ukuthi wayengeke aphile impilo eyedwa - njengoba ama-maharani ayevame ukugcinwa ngemuva kwe-purdah ngalezo zinsuku - esigodlweni. Ngokushesha, wangena kwezombusazwe ngemvume kamaharaja.
Ngo-1960, ukubandakanyeka kukamaharani kwezombusazwe kwaba ngokusemthethweni. Wayemenywe ukuthi ajoyine uKhongolose phambilini, kodwa wakhetha ukufunga ukwethembeka eqenjini elisha lezombusazwe elalifuna ukuphikisa uKhongolose ngaleso sikhathi. Iqembu le-Swatantra laliholwa ngu-Chakravarty Rajagopalachari, owalandela u-Lord Mountbatten ukuba abe uMbusi Jikelele wase-India. Wayekholelwa ukuthi izimfundiso zamaNehruvia zazihluleka ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zamaNdiya avamile.
Ngikanye ne-Lord Mountbatten. Isidalwa sepolitiki
Amazwi ka-Gayatri Devi achaza umkhankaso wakhe wokuvota azojwayeleka kunoma yimuphi osemusha osemusha wezombangazwe wasemadolobheni namuhla. Ngesici-so-amaqiniso, ubhala encwadini yakhe yesikhumbuzo, Wonke umkhankaso mhlawumbe kwakuyinkathi engavamile kakhulu yokuphila kwami. Lapho ngibona futhi ngihlangana nabantu baseJaipur, njengoba ngenza ngaleso sikhathi, ngaqala ukubona ukuthi kuncane kangakanani engangikwazi ngendlela yokuphila yabahlali. Ngithole ukuthi iningi labantu basemaphandleni, naphezu....ukuhlangenwe nakho okunonya kwendlala nokungaphumeleli kwezitshalo, banesizotha nokuzihlonipha okuphawulekayo futhi banokulondeka okujulile kufilosofi ehlanganisa yonke yokuphila eyangenza ngazizwa ngituswa futhi...cishe. umona.
UGayatri uwine isihlalo seJaipur eLok Sabha ngo-1962. Kwakuwukunqoba okukhulu okwafika eGuinness Book of Records. Uthole amavoti angu-1,92,909 kwabangu-2,46,516 abaphonsiwe. Uqhubekile nokumela uJaipur eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, enikeza ukuphikisa okuqinile kweqembu leCongress ngaso sonke isikhathi. U-Gayatri Devi akazange agweme ukuthatha ngisho ne-Nehru ezindabeni ezimbalwa, kuhlanganise nengxabano yempi yase-India-China yango-1962. Inkulumo yakhe edumile kuye ePhalamende yayiwukuthi, Ukube bewazi okuthile nganoma yini, ngabe asikho kulolu bishi namuhla.
UMaharani Gayatri Devi ehhovisi le-Times Of India eMumbai. Isimo esiphuthumayo
Ngo-1971, owayengundunankulu ngaleso sikhathi, u-Indira Gandhi, waqeda izikhwama zangasese, waqeda wonke amalungelo obukhosi futhi engazinaki izivumelwano okwavunyelwana ngazo ngo-1947. UGayatri Devi wasolwa ngokuphula imithetho yentela futhi waboshwa, kanye namalungu amaningana obukhosi baseNdiya, ngesikhathi kuze kufike enkathini yezimo eziphuthumayo. Abahloli bentela yeholo bagebenga izigodlo zakhe futhi wabhukhwa ngaphansi koMthetho ocindezelayo we-Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act.
Kwakuyisikhathi esinzima empilweni yakhe njengoba abhekana nokulahlekelwa okukhulu komuntu siqu - ngonyaka owandulele nje, umyeni wakhe washona kumdlalo wepolo eCirencester, eGloucestershire, e-UK. Ubhekane nesimo sezepolitiki esimnyama esasisho ukubhubha kweziqu nezikhundla eziningi zamakhosana. Emlandweni wakhe wokuphila, uGayatri Devi wayengazinaki izinqubomgomo zika-Indira Gandhi. Uyabhala, Eqhutshwa umbono oyiphutha wokuthi 'u-India wayengu-Indira' nokuthi ngaphandle kwakhe isizwe sasingeke siphile, futhi egqugquzelwa iqembu lakhe labeluleki abazifunayo, udalule izehlakalo ezacishe zacekela phansi intando yeningi eNdiya... Umbhali odumile kanye nombhali wengosi uKhushwant Singh wabhala ngalesi siqephu empilweni kaGayatri Devi, Wawela kabi ngoNdunankulu u-Indira Gandhi ayemazi kusukela ngesikhathi esifushane bendawonye eShantiniketan. U-Indira akakwazanga ukumunca owesifazane obukeka emuhle kunaye futhi wamthuka ePhalamende, embiza nge-b***h nonodoli wengilazi. U-Gayatri Devi ukhiphe okubi kakhulu ku-Indira Gandhi: uhlangothi lwakhe oluncane, lokuziphindiselela. Lapho ememezela Isimo Esiphuthumayo, u-Gayatri Devi wayephakathi kwezisulu zakhe zokuqala.
UGayatri Devi wayeseTihar isikhathi esithile. Udedelwe ngemuva kwezinyanga ezinhlanu ejele okwalandela ukuthi ahoxe kwezombusazwe.
Ukuhlehla kuthule
Ngemva kokuyeka ipolitiki, uGayatri Devi uchithe izinsuku zakhe ikakhulukazi e-Jaipur, entofontofo epholile yekhaya lakhe, i-Lily Pool, egxile ezikoleni azisungula e-Pink City. Umoya woshintsho wawuvunguza edolobheni lakubo. Wayengathokozile ngendlela amandla amabi entuthuko ayebubhidliza ngayo ubuhle nobuntu bayo. Inhlekelele yaphinde yehlela ekhaya lapho indodana yakhe, u-Jagat ishona ngenxa yezinkinga zempilo ezihlobene nokudakwa ophuzweni oludakayo ngo-1997. Yasinda kuyo iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi. Ukushona kwakhe kwalandelwa impi enzima ngendawo yakhe elinganiselwa ku-Rs 3,200 crore. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, iNkantolo Ephakeme yakhipha isinqumo esivuna abazukulu. Igazi elibi lamshiya ebuhlungu kuze kube yizinsuku zakhe zokugcina. U-Gayatri Devi ushone ngo-July 29, 2009, eneminyaka engu-90. Kwakuwukuphila okumakwe ngokulinganayo usizi nomusa, kodwa kwaba ukupha kwakhe komoya okwenza uJaipur wakhe - kanye ne-India - indlovukazi ethandwa kakhulu.
Raima sen Impilo yabantu
Umlingisi uRaima Sen uthi, ngimkhumbula egqoke ama-chiffon alula anobucwebe obuncane. USen ukhumbula kahle indlela uGayatri Devi amthumele ngayo ngosuku angaboni ngaso linye ngenkathi eholidini eLondon. Wayesemusha ngaleso sikhathi. Wayesitshela ukuthi asigweme umbala omnyama kunalokho sigqoke imibala eminingi!
Umdlali wethenisi u-Akhtar Ali uthi, ngahlangana naye ngo-1955 eJaipur. Wangibuza ukuthi ngingathanda yini ukungenela umncintiswano weJunior Wimbledon ngalowo nyaka. Ngamtshela ngokungananazi ukuthi ngangingenawo amandla ezimali okuqhudelana eLondon. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa, wamemezela ephathini ukuthi ngizoya kuJunior Wimbledon. Ngahlulwa kuma-semi futhi ngaphuka. U-Gayatri Devi ubebukele umdlalo. Wangiduduza futhi waxhasa uhambo lwami ngonyaka olandelayo! Wayevame ukuthi, ‘Imali ayikwazi ukuthenga yonke into, kodwa imali ingathenga lokho okungathengwa ngemali’.
IZITHOMBE: Umthombo: I-Times of India Group, I-Copyright (c) 2016, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, Wonke Amalungelo Agodliwe Izithombe I-Copyright I-FEMINA/FILMFARE ARCHIVES
